Foster gets a second chance

Monday

Sep 11, 2017 at 5:21 PMSep 11, 2017 at 5:21 PM

By Matt Levins The Hawk Eye

Sawyer Foster knew something was seriously wrong right after impact.

It was the third day of high school football practice and the West Burlington-Notre Dame/Danville senior running back had just taken a hard hit on his right shoulder, the same one that had been surgically repaired after a torn labrum last season.

Foster got up, in obvious pain from a severely dislocated shoulder, the large bony bankart broken off the front off his shoulder.

Just like that, Foster's high school playing career was over.

But, thanks to the generosity and compassion of WB-ND/Danville head football coach Jay Eilers, Foster's passion for football, his dream of one day becoming a coach, was not snuffed out.

During an emotional meeting between player and coach during which a few tears were shed and plenty of feelings brought to the surface, Eilers asked Foster to stay on the team as a student-coach. The Danville High School senior graciously agreed.

Instead of pouting and wondering what might have been, Foster is looking ahead to his future and, with Eilers' blessing, is still a part of the team.

"I told him I want to be a coach when I get older and he thought immediately that I could come to the coaches meetings and learn and be mentored. It's cool," Foster said. "It was pretty awesome, just the recognition and trying to keep me around. It was cool."

"He's an unbelievable young man who loves the game of football. He has a passion and a love for the game. That was very clear," said Eilers, a 1994 graduate of West Burlington High School who is in his first year of coaching at his alma mater. "He knew right away the severity of the injury. He's so tough. I expected his to be in a lot of pain and in tears. But he came over and said, 'Coach, I hurt my shoulder really bad.'"

Foster was having a breakout season a year ago for the Bears. He had rushed for 182 yards and had 20 1/2 tackles as a running back and linebacker for Danville. But a torn labrum in his right shoulder suffered in a game against New London put a damper on the season. A more painful blow would come later, when Danville would forfeit its season due to declining numbers. It was a double whammy for Foster, who started playing football for Danville in first grade and had worked his way up through the ranks, dreaming of the day he would one day don the blue and white for the Bears. That dream was short-lived.

"I injured it my third game last year, Sept. 9, against New London. It was awful. I went up to catch a ball and my arm got hit back. The next thing I knew I was getting an MRI and they said it was torn. I've never had an injury before, so I didn't know how severe it was, but I could tell something was up," Foster said. "It was a roller-coaster. I was out for a week or so and that's when they told us we weren't going to play. There were three or four weeks when we were practicing and we didn't know if we were going to have a game that Friday. That was tough, but it really built our team unity.

"It was a challenge. The competition is a lot higher here, but I think it would have been fine."

Foster was all set to rejoin his teammates this season at Danville, where all systems seemed to be go for the 2017 season. But that all came crashing down in early August, when the administration decided, because of low numbers and not wanting freshmen to play at the varsity level, that it would be best to share a program with West Burlington-Notre Dame. It was another bitter pill for Foster to swallow. He wanted to play for his own school, but in the end, he just wanted to play football.

"I thought we would be OK and we would have a season, but obviously it got pulled right at the end. It was definitely rough. I started crying, but you just have to move on," Foster said. "I want to play at Danville, but I don't have anything against West Burlington. I just wanted to play for my own school. Good competition is a challenge and I want to go to the next level, so it was a good step for me in competition.

"It was awful. Not being able to play was tough, but I think it turned us into men a little bit."

Foster was expected to be one of the Falcons' top running backs this season. That all came to a crashing halt on the third day of practice.

"The third day of practice — it was the first day of shell — I was doing a hitting drill and my shoulder dislocated out the back. I broke a large bony bankart off the front. I have to have surgery and have that screwed back on," Foster said.

Eilers could feel Foster's pain. Eilers suffered more than his share of injuries during his playing days at Northwest Missouri State University. He knew exactly what Foster was going through.

"I broke my foot five times in college," Eilers said. "That's a very difficult position. The team goes on and you don't. Sawyer battled through some emotions. He's been very mature about it."

Foster wanted to stay a part of the team. Eilers found a way to keep him involved. Foster attends coaches meetings on Sundays, breaking down film and putting together a game plan for the next week's opponent. He helps out at practices and on game day, he job shadows the coaches, learning the ins and outs of the game.

"We break down film, come up with strategy against the next opponent. How to use our strengths against their weaknesses. They're super smart. Crazy smart. They're always showing us how to pick out their weaknesses and know what we should run. They are always writing up plays, what we'll use that week to our strengths," Foster said. "I am usually with the running backs and linebackers and I'll help with Coach (Ephraim) Twillie and Coach (John) Vandenberg if they need me. I'm trying to learn how the coaches do their thing and learn from them. I watch and I'm usually around the coaches and I hear what they're saying. I try to learn the game situations as a coach."

"He has such dedication and wants to learn more about the game. This is a tough time for him, but I am so proud of him," Eilers said.

Foster's parents, Mick and Brandy Foster, have been appreciative of the way Eilers has taken their son under his wing and allowed him to keep his dream alive.

"It was definitely a struggle for them. I know they cried a lot, but they know God has a plan," said Foster, who will undergo shoulder surgery on Thursday. "They love it. They think it's awesome. They were excited when they heard that. He's a really cool guy. He's an awesome dude."

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